Thursday, January 26, 2017

ARE YOU MOVING TO MEXICO CITY? (Part 1)

It's time to repeat an old blog post as there may be more interest in the topic at the moment. I've been adding to this post as I find new information, and welcome readers suggestions for anything they think should be included.

This is a compilation of
information useful to anyone planning a move to Mexico City. I first posted this in 2011 and have been repeating
it every year, with the addition of new information I've found. I invite readers to send any tips they think relevant to the post.

First, if you don't own a Guia
Roji map book of Mexico City, go to Sanborn's and buy one--I use it all the
time. You can get the maps on line for free as well at www.guiaroji.com.mx

The website www.mexperience.com has
a wealth of information about moving to and living in Mexico.

Finding a place to live:

Check out the website http://www.airbnb.com/
for short term rentals. You might consider this as you look for something more
permanent--that way you can get a feel for the city before making a final
decision. VRBO (stands for Vacation Rentals By Owner) is a website that has places for rent (short-term) all over the world--a great resource for any traveler.

It's
important to consider transportation in your choice of where to live. Being able
to walk to work/school, or having a short ride on public transportation, can
make a huge difference in your quality of life. A long commute by car will be
living hell.

Living
near a park will also improve quality of life. Use google maps to search around
for those green spaces.

Visit
your chosen area both during the day and at night time--you might find some
drastic changes.

A good way to find an
apartment is just to walk the streets in the area you'd like to live. Many
apartments are rented/sold directly by owners by putting signs in the window.
Listed below are a number of on-line sites for house/apartment hunting.

http://www.metroscubicos.com/
is a Spanish-only website with real estate for sale/rent all over Mexico. You
can put an 'alert' on this site and be notified by e-mail of anything new that
shows up according to your criteria. It also has a useful chart of
'price-per-square-meter' according to location. Many of the listings are
agents, but that's a good way to find one. http://www.vivastreet.com.mx/
is similar. Check out http://vivirenelcentro.com.mx/ for real estate
in the centro historico.

Buy a copy of 'Segundamano'
at any newsstand--this weekly paper lists all sorts of things for sale or rent
(cars, apartments, houses). Look for real estate agents here, too. You can also
find them online at http://www.segundamano.com.mx/One of my readers wrote to say that she found her apartment by speaking to the doormen (porteros) of various buildings and leaving her number--a little tip will help.

044-55-2283-9330 or
044-55-2020-3312Looking for wood furniture? The
address is: Insurgentes Sur 100, corner with Camino a Santa Teresa. The
market is also called Mercado de Vasco de Quiroga. It's in Tlalpan.
Hundreds of skilled carpenters show off their wares. Anything made to
order.

Angloinfo.com has lots to offer, including this post about how to meet new friends in the city: http://blogs.angloinfo.com/mexico-city-is-my-home/2015/10/29/how-to-meet-new-friends-in-mexico-city/

Here is the website for a
moving company in Ajijic that can help get your stuff across the border. http://www.strommoving.com/
I have no personal experience with this company, but found it recommended on
another blog. Check out the comments on this blog for more helpful
information on moving household goods into Mexico.

Mexico City's own government
website http://www.mexicocity.gob.mx has
a wealth of information in over 60 languages, including brief descriptions of
each delegation and what there is to see.

I add to her comments about
the fiador: I rented my first apartment here without a fiador by
offering to pay the first year's rent up-front (with a small discount). Since
the monthly rent was only 3000 pesos this was possible.A number of Facebook pages are directed toward ex-pats in Mexico City, e.g.:Foreigners in DF (Mexico City)Americans in Mexico CityMEXPAT DFRoomies D.FAztec Explorers Mexico is a FB page that offers interesting tours in and around the city.http://mexicocity.angloinfo.com offers all kinds of information about events around the city

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in New York City, Jim Johnston grew up in the woods of New Hampshire. After studying architecture at the University of Virginia and graphic design at the School of Visual Arts, he worked as a professional artist and potter in New York City for 27 years. He moved to Mexico in 1997, where he continues working as an artist and writer. For more information visit the website: www.jimjohnstonart.com. You can e-mail me at this address: jimjohnstonart@gmail.com

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